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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · pop · rule · bear · coach · field · perch · hand

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — a subject
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. craft — boats
  10. rule — government
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — a law
  13. field — farmland
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com